Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of Taiwanese studying outside the country at any one time often exceeded 70,000. Before going abroad, many of them sought advice from companies that specialize in helping students book language courses or gain admission to foreign universities. But because of the pandemic and consequent travel restrictions, Taiwan’s overseas-study counseling industry is on course for a dismal year.
Eri Liao (廖為慶), founding partner of StudyLawyer, a company that specializes in helping clients gain admission to law schools in North America and elsewhere, says that compared to last year, business in the first quarter of 2020 was down 20 to 25 percent.
Liao says that applications to UK schools have been more impacted than those to the US.
Photo Courtesy of EF Education First
“About 10 percent of our clients who’ve received offers have asked for a one-year deferred enrollment, but only a few law schools have agreed,” he says.
Liao, who oversees branches in Taipei, Shanghai and Hong Kong, doesn’t think the pandemic will dent local enthusiasm for overseas education. Globalization is driving demand for talented individuals with international backgrounds, he says.
“Studying abroad is a necessary step to improve one’s competitiveness. If there’s a global economic downturn, more candidates will chase fewer positions, and this will push job seekers to better themselves,” Liao says.
The epidemic’s impact became noticeable just after Lunar New Year, say Pieter Funnekotter, CEO of the UKEAS Group, and Laurent Morel, Taiwan general manager of EF Education First.
UKEAS — which was founded in Taiwan in 1993 — provides free counseling and application services for Taiwanese students who wish to study in the UK, US and other countries. It earns a commission each time a client books a language course or is accepted by a university.
UKEAS doesn’t plan to close any of its nine offices in Taiwan, or furlough some of its 80-odd employees, in order to cut costs.
“Downsizing our staff just isn’t possible,” Funnekotter says. “They’re very busy collecting updates from our partners around the world and contacting our students [abroad] to understand their circumstances. The number of inquiries we’ve received this year is no less than the same period last year, and we continue to have new applicants for September 2020 and beyond.”
EF Education First is less reliant on summer groups compared to some others in the industry, says Morel. He thinks that “short-term programs and less academic options will probably be the most impacted… Some of our customers have postponed their plans, and as our campuses operate all year round, we can accommodate that.”
EF’s four Taiwan offices are open as usual for face-to-face consultations.
“However, we’re doing more online live meetings, Webinars and consultations for people who prefer to stay at home,” says Morel, who strikes a note of optimism.
“The current situation is disrupting the plans of thousands of students, but I’m confident it’s only temporary. Taiwanese understand the importance and the benefits of studying abroad,” Morel says.
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